Abortion and adoption

A major point in the Pro-life argument is that unplanned or unwanted children can be put up for Adoption rather than the women opting for Abortion. With 60% of pregnancies being unintended,[1] there is a genuine issue with regards to the future of these children. Abortion attempts to solve this problem with the argument that an unintended child's life will be so bad that it would be better for the child to never live at all. However, Adoption gives the child a chance at life in a better, and often more prepared, environment. Adoption also gives significant benefits to the mother of the child as well as the family that adopts. Abortion, on the other hand, can only benefit the mother and even this is questionable due to the guilt that many potential mothers feel afterwards known as Post-Abortion Syndrome.[2]

Contents

Future Of The Child

Abortion leaves a child with no future, effectively terminating any chance that the child has at life. The mentality behind this is that no life is better than a bad one. Adoption counters this by giving an unwanted child a better chance at life. There are strict criteria for adoptive parents particularity in the USA,[3] and the United Kingdom.[4] This is to ensure that any adopted child will be given a better chance at life is a loving and caring environment. As such, Adoption gives the child a possible future, Abortion terminates the future of the child.

On The Mother

Post-Abortion Syndrome often occurs after an abortion, leaving a mother with feelings of guilt and of shame. The only potential benefit is that the woman is now free of the child and can now go on with her Life. However, Adoption offers the same benefit as well as other benefits that could have a beneficial impact on the mother:

1. There is no financial impact on the Mother for choosing adoption. Pregnancy expenses are usually paid for by the adoptive family.[5] Abortion will usually cost $490 in the USA.[6] While the NHS in the United Kingdom will cover abortions if they meet the criteria, privately run Clinics offer it from £500 (around $767).

2.The mother gets a say in what sort of family adopts their child and also has the opportunity to keep in contact with the child.[7]

3.Ethically, women may choose to end with a result that brings life and not death.[8] Especially as adoption is more socially acceptable than abortion.[9]

On The Adoptive Family

Adoption gives many benefits to families who wish for a child of their own yet abortion does not serve to help these people but rather makes it harder for them to fulfill their aspirations as Adoptive rates have fallen due to the increase in abortion.[10] The benefits are:

1.A couple, in which one of the partners are infertile, will have a chance to obtain a child that they can care for as their own.[11] In fact, 2,000,00 couples are waiting to adopt in the USA yet only 50,000 babies are put up for adoption each year.[12]

2.In the United Kingdom, to encourage adoption, adoptive parents are given access to child benefit in order to ensure that they can financially afford to care for the child.[13]

3.Adoptive parents have opened their house to a child that is not their biological offspring. This is an act of unrequited love and it is logical that they would continue this and give the adopted child all the care and attention that it would not otherwise get in a household that never wanted him/her.